


"Family. Familia. Famille." - [Tom Hiddleston - One shot ].

by A_Wolf



Category: British Actor RPF, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom, hiddlestoners
Genre: A.Wölf, F/M, Tumblr: theartofimagining13
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-25
Updated: 2017-03-25
Packaged: 2018-10-10 17:15:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10442991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Wolf/pseuds/A_Wolf
Summary: Based on: Imagine: Tom being your ex, the one your family loved and welcomed when the two of you were together, and even wanted you to marry but things never worked between you. A couple of years later, he’s invited to a family event, which makes things super awkward for you because you’re still single but you don’t want him to know, and you’re well aware of how communicative and pushy your relatives can be, not to mention how much they will be praising him all evening long.





	

**Originally posted at** : [The Art of Imagining](http://theartofimagining13.tumblr.com/).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* * *

Mia rolled the end of her side braid around her bun and secured it with a bobby pin while staring at herself in the mirror.

The curtain next to her billowed open and the cool ocean breeze raced through her, reminding her to pay attention to the sound of the crashing waves outside her parents’ beach house; something she hadn’t indulged in, in a long time.

Her bedroom door opened and it took her visitor less than 5 steps to reach her and rest her chin on her shoulder while putting her hands on her arms.

_“Isn’t it odd how even when we look the same, I’m still the prettier one?”_

Mia rolled her eyes at her identical twin who stared back at her in the mirror.

_“Fuck off”._

Ava laughed.

 _“You look nice. I wonder why”_ , she said and Mia caught an ironic note in her tone but brushed it off.

 _“It’s been a while since the whole family’s gathered”_ , Mia said with a shrug.

 _“Oh, I’m sure, Aunt Marie will appreciate your effort. Come on”,_ Ava chuckled.

_“What?”_

Ava frowned and studied her sister for a second.

 _“Oh!”_ she exclaimed raising an eyebrow, _“You don’t know”._

 _“Ava”,_ Mia sighed _, “You’ve been here for a minute and you’re already getting on my nerves. What is it?”_

Ava stood up, walked towards the door and opened it before glancing back at her dumbfounded and two-minute younger twin.

_“Mother invited Tom”._

It took Mia a second.

 _“What!?”_ she finally exclaimed a little too late, for the door was already closed.

She rushed out of the bedroom to catch up with her in the hallway.

_“What the fuck, Ava? Don’t joke with me like that”._

_“I’m not!”_ Ava said with an innocent look but kept on walking.

_“Why the hell would mom do that?”_

_“Oh come on, Mia!”._

They walked out into the garden and stood before a table with the party drinks.

Ava grabbed one with an umbrella and stole a few more to put in her glass as she kept on talking.

_“You know the family was nuts about him, probably more than you”._

_“But that was years ago!”_ Mia complained.

Ava ate the maraschino cherry from her cocktail and threw the stem over her shoulder not caring if it landed in another glass as she gave a careless shrug.

 _“She’s going to hear me…”_ Mia said as she marched towards the kitchen.

Ava snickered.

* * *

_“Oh relax, Mia! I ran into him at the farmers’ market the other day. He saw the amount of food and alcohol I was buying, made one of those classy jokes of his about it and I thought ‘why not? The more the merrier’”_ Martha, the twins’ mother, said while arranging appetizers on a tray.

_“Uh… I don’t know, mom. Maybe out of respect for your daughter? Because we broke up 3 years ago and I’ve moved on and so has he, I’m sure?”_

_“Have you really, Mia?”_

Her daughter’s jaw dropped but her mother just handed her the tray.

_“Now, be of help and bring that outside”._

_“Martha, where’s the damn dip_?” Asked Gregory, the father, as he joined them in the kitchen while chewing on chips.

Mia glanced at him but he was already bent over in front of the fridge.

 _“Dad, aren’t you going to say something?”_ Mia asked.

He stood up straight with a beer bottle in each hand and faced them looking like a deer in the headlights. All he could do was open one of the bottles and offer it to Mia.

 _“Dad…”_ Mia threatened

_“Well… Ems… it’d be nice to have someone to talk about tennis and rugby with, since your cousin Trevor turned out to be a soccer-loving pansy-ass fruitfuck”._

_“Gregory!”_ Martha complained.

Mia groaned in frustration and walked away.

 _“What?”_ Gregory asked with an innocent shrug meeting his wife’s disapproving gaze.

* * *

Just as the sun set and Martha finished the last few details at the dining table, Mia stared at the ocean leaning on the porch railing, trying to accept her unavoidable fate with a long sigh. Ava stood next to her and handed her a drink.

_“No luck, huh?”_

Mia took it but just kept her eyes fixed on it and shook her head.

 _“Maybe he won’t come”,_ Ava said.

_“He’s not one to decline an invitation like this”._

_“Well, our parents might not have common sense but maybe he does and won’t show up because he knows how weird it would be”._

Mia silently hoped for it. But before she could utter a word, a Jaguar pulled up at the beach house, causing her to widen her eyes and feel weak at the knees.

 _“…Or maybe not”,_ Ava added.

Mia’s stomach dropped when she saw Tom getting out of the car with his sunglasses on, and strutting towards the entrance elegantly as ever, making her heart race.

 _“Fuck”,_ she muttered under her breath before chugging her drink.

Martha was the first to greet him. She pulled him into a tight embrace and Tom wore the biggest smile, his most charming one.

Then Marie, Martha’s sister, followed by cousin Trevor and his wife Hannah, even their 8-year-old boy, who had Tom squatting down to fist bump him.

“ _I’m going to need another drink”,_ Mia said.

 _“Take mine, sis”_ Ava offered.

And Mia downed it as if it was a glass of water and she was in the desert.

The last one to greet him was Gregory. They shook hands but pulled each other into a manly embrace while letting out a laugh.

_“We could invite the pope and they would still not be as welcoming. Shit, Mia. There will be fireworks any second now”._

_“Shut up. I need to get out of here”,_ Mia said ready to walk away.

 _“No. Stop.”_ Her sister ordered, keeping her in place, _“Maybe I can help”._

_“Shit. He’s coming”._

The rest of the family moved towards the dining table in the garden, and Tom shot a glance in the twins’ direction. He ran his fingers through his hair, shyly smiling at the ground before approaching them.

Mia’s heartbeat faltered and she swallowed hard. It was the first time in years they’d be speaking. He hadn’t changed one bit. If anything, he looked even manlier.

 _“Just follow my lead”,_ Ava whispered at her.

She stood in front of Mia and crossed her arms over her chest with an amused look on her face.

_“Thomas…”_

He studied her.

 _“What on God’s green earth are you doing here?”_ she asked.

 _“Your mother invited me. I hope that’s alright”_ he said seemingly nervous.

And his velvety voice reverberated in Mia’s ears.

_“Attending this family dinner is a little odd, don’t you think? We dated a long time ago”._

_“I don’t remember dating you, Ava”,_ Tom stated with a hint of a playful grin.

Ava turned to Mia.

_“I tried”._

She patted Tom’s shoulder on her way to join the others.

_“Welcome, Hiddleston”._

Mia shut her eyes in frustration for a second or two before turning back to meet his former lover’s eyes as he took his sunglasses off and hung them on one of his shirt’s buttons.

His heart skipped a beat but he just showed a genuine smile.

 _“After all these years, you can still tell us apart?”_ Mia asked.

_“How couldn’t i?”_

She looked at the ground as a memory suddenly flooded her mind. The countless times Tom had told her how easy it was for him to recognize her, attributing it to his deep love for her. _“I just know”_ he used to say. And his next words brought her back to the present but they were the same.

_“I just know”._

Mia stared into his blue eyes feeling nostalgic. It seemed to take forever, but Tom inched closer and pulled her into a warm embrace. She hesitated but wrapped her arms around him, smelling his cologne and still finding it as intoxicating as she did before. And she shut her eyes succumbing to the relaxing feeling this all provided but she knew that all eyes were on them so she pulled away.

 _“You’re even more beautiful”,_ he said after discretely eyeing her from head to toe.

And she hated herself for blushing.

 _“They’re probably waiting for us”,_ she changed the subject.

* * *

_“Good lord, Martha! Did I miss your cooking”,_ Tom exclaimed, earning smiles from everyone at the table.

 _“Oh, stop it”,_ Martha said.

 _“So, what have you been up to, Tom?”_ Gregory asked.

Everyone kept on passing dishes to each other and continued to chew on their food as Tom spoke.

_“Well, I’ve been working with UNICEF, actually”._

Ava immediately looked at Mia and rolled her eyes looking exhausted.

_“I recently went to South Sudan. There’s a terrible situation happening for children there…”_

As Tom told his story, everyone stopped eating and listened carefully, except Ava. Martha, Marie, and Hannah, watched him fascinated to the point where their eyes got watery. Even Gregory seemed to be moved by Tom’s story about the dire situation in the country and how UNICEF was saving children’s lives.

Mia listened but she wasn’t impressed. Tom had always been like that, a humanitarian. And it always made her love him more. Ava, on the other hand, always teased her about it, not that she didn’t care about the world but she always found it annoying coming from Tom because of the way everyone put him on a pedestal for it.

One quick glance at everyone at the table, and Ava knew history was repeating itself. Especially when Martha said _“How wonderful”_ out of breath, while raising her glass at Tom for an impromptu toast for the hero.

The familiar scene made Mia feel like time didn’t exist and it was as if she and Tom were still together. A lump formed in her throat once the sudden memory of their breakup and the fights that led to it flooded her mind. But she shook it off with a sip of her drink.

Suddenly she felt Tom’s big hand on top of her, giving it a gentle squeeze.

 _“Everything okay, darling?”_ he asked only for her to hear.

But before Mia could answer, Marie spoke.

_“I am just so glad Martha could bring some sense back into you, Mia”._

Her niece looked at her expectantly before she continued.

_“You should’ve never let him go”._

Mia felt the anger awakening within her and removed her hand from under Tom’s to pick up her fork again.

 _“We’re not together, Aunt Marie”,_ she said quietly.

The old woman’s eyes traveled from Tom to Mia a couple times, and she looked perplexed.

_“Wh- how?”_

Tom let out a nervous chuckle.

 _“I’m just visiting”,_ he said _._

Marie raised her eyebrows judgingly as she brought a piece of broccoli into her mouth and chewed on it while looking at Mia, and with a mouthful said,

_“Oh, dear… well, Mia, darling, you’re still single, aren’t you? And you’re not getting any younger”._

_“And you are, Aunt Marie?”_ Ava said, imitating her with the broccoli, and getting everyone’s attention.

 _“Ava…”_ her mother warned.

Marie pursed her lips but forced a smile and looked at her sister.

_“Oh, no, Martha. Don’t. At least Mia’s got hope”._

_“Oh, I’m sorry”,_ Ava started, _“What is that supposed to mean?”_

 _“Everyone…”_ Gregory said trying to dial things down.

_“Please enlighten me, Aunt Marie.”_

_“When I was your age, your late uncle Hank and I were already married and pregnant with our second child. But you, you’ve never even brought a boy here”._

_“Didn’t my mother tell you? Why isn’t that a surprise?”_ Ava asked glaring at Martha, _“Go on tell her mom”._

_“Ava, please”._

_“Alright, I’ll do it. I’m engaged, Aunt Marie”._

Everyone stiffened in their seats, except Trevor who reached out for a breadstick only for his wife to smack his hand and force him to pay attention.

Marie showed genuine interest and showed an amicable expression hinting at approval until Ava butchered it with her next words.

_“Her name is Emily”._

Martha brought her hand to her face.

_“Oh my god…”_

_“That’s right, Aunt Marie”,_ Ava said raising her glass, _“I never brought a boy because I don’t like cock, I like pussy”._

 _“Ava!”_ Martha yelled in unison with Hannah, as she covered her son’s ears.

Gregory giggled but stopped at once when Martha scowled at him.

Ava downed her drink, and Marie looked pale as a ghost, on the verge of having a stroke.

 _“Of course you wouldn’t tell her”,_ Ava spat at Martha, _“You wouldn’t even let me bring Emily tonight but you run into my sister’s ex and invite him. Excuse me.”_

Tom shifted in his seat uncomfortably while pressing his knuckles against his lips.

Ava grabbed the breadstick basket and a bottle of wine before walking into the house, leaving everyone in a deafening silence.

 _“I…”,_ Martha started, _“I would like to ap-apologize for my daughter’s behavior. We were waiting for a better occasion to give the good news”_ , her voice broke, _“Excuse me”._

 _“No, mom”,_ Mia stopped her, _“I’ll go talk to her”._

She glanced at Tom giving him a look he clearly remembered from previous similar situations, and he nodded grabbing another bottle of wine.

_“More wine, everyone?”_

And everyone grabbed their glasses at the same time.

* * *

Mia knocked on Ava’s door.

_“Go away!”_

_“It’s me”._

Mia entered when Ava didn’t object, only to find her twin sprawled on the bed watching MTV.

 _“You’re still a teenager”,_ Mia said with a smile while shaking her head.

 _“Breadstick?”_ Ava offered while chewing on one, _“Might be poisoned though, Marie made them”._

Mia took one and sat next to her sister.

_“Ava, I know what you’re doing. But don’t you think you took it a little too far this time?”_

_“At least we know she won’t be coming for Christmas”._

_“Be serious”._

Ava stared at Mia, and sighed.

_“Old habits die hard, little sister. Besides, they’ll be off your back now”._

_“We’re not kids anymore, Ava. I can handle it. You don’t have to throw yourself to the wolves like that for my sake”._

_“Mia, what mom did was fucked up. How can she put you in such an awkward situation like that?”_

_“She always loved Tom… everyone did.  They wanted me to marry him”._

_“Well, when you bring superheroes home to meet your family, that’s what happens”,_ Ava said in a sarcastic tone.

Mia rolled her eyes before turning serious.

_“You do know that Mom’s not embarrassed of you, don’t you?”_

_“I know. Just like she knows why I did what I did”._

The twins stayed in silence for a couple seconds until Ava spoke again.

_“Are you still in love with him?”_

_“Okay, that’s my cue to leave”,_ Mia said standing up.

_“Mia, come on, it took you ages to get over him. You slept in his shirt for months and cried while listening to-”_

_“Less talking… more eating”._

_“I’m just saying, hey.”_

Mia stopped at the door and glanced at Ava over her shoulder.

_“Do you really think he’s here just because mother invited him?  He’s here because of you”._

_“Are you going to stay here?”_

Ava sighed.

 _“Mia…”_ She trailed off giving up, _“Yes, I’ll stay here”._

* * *

After the events occurred during dinner, Tom did everything in his power to distract the family and lighten the mood, and he was successful at it by suggesting a game of charades.

Everyone cheered, groaned, and clapped, having fun while playing and Tom had even convinced Ava to come down and join them in the outdoor living room.

It was Mia’s turn to act out a film, but she was getting frustrated after everyone kept shouting a long list of wrong titles.

 _“Okay, give us a hint!”_ Hannah exclaimed.

 _“It’s my favorite film”,_ Mia said.

 _“Brokeback Mountain!”_ Ava yelled, _“Oh no, wait. That’s mine”,_ she said trying to be funny.

 _“Hmm… I thought it was Trevor’s”_ Gregory muttered under his breath, causing Martha to smack his arm.

Everyone kept trying to guess until Tom spoke.

_“Wuthering Heights. 1992”._

The family went quiet and Mia’s heartbeat faltered as her smile faded.

 _“Well?”_ Martha asked.

 _“Is it?”_ Ava inquired.

Mia hesitated and bit her lip, trying to swallow yet another lump in her throat that evening.

 _“Yeah…”_ she whispered with a slight nod.

She cleared her throat and walked away, with everyone’s eyes glued to her before staring at Tom. He showed a polite smile and excused himself to go after her, not without grabbing a blanket from the wicker sofa before. The family watched in awe and tried to resume their game; an attempt to mind their own business for the first time that evening.

* * *

When Tom caught up with her she was already standing at the end of the dock, leaning against the railing with her back to him, just trying to find some comfort in the ocean. Tom stared at her for a minute and finally stepped forward to wrap the blanket around her shoulders. She looked down at it but ended up accepting it.

 _“You remembered”,_ she said sounding incredulous.

Tom chuckled and stared at the waves, now standing next to her.

“ _You used to curl up on the couch with tea and biscuits to watch it every now and then”,_ he said.

She was overwhelmed by the fact that no one in her family knew this but there he was,  Tom, pouring out details he should’ve forgotten over the years. She turned her face to meet his eyes.

_“Tom, why did you come? Really.”_

He remained silent for too long but she waited.

 _“Because I knew you’d be here”,_ he finally admitted.

But it was Mia’s turn to not utter a word, so he kept going.

_“Mia, i… I never heard from you again”._

_“That’s how breakups are supposed to work”._

_“I didn’t even know if you were okay”_

_“That was no longer your concern”_

_“You knew damn well I was never good at staying away from you”._

_“It’s been three years, Thomas. For fuck’s sake”._

_“And I called you a bunch of times, I e-mailed you and made a fool out of my drunken self more than once, and… not a single word from you”._

Her eyes filled with tears at the sound of his broken voice and the desperation in his tone.

 _“Fuck…”_ Tom muttered under his breath while running his fingers through his hair.

 _“It wasn’t a game. We ended things for good”,_ Mia said.

_“You left me no choice”_

_“I told you a million times that I would never be in one of those relationships where they break up every weekend. It happened and that was that”._

Tom frowned and took a step back but she kept going.

_“And now here you are, having dinner with my family and playing games as if we were still together… it-it’s just… so fucked up. They love you more than Ava and I put together”._

_“Don’t be ridiculous”._

She shot a glare at him but reminded herself to take a deep breath.

 _“Maybe I should just-”,_ she started.

 _“If anyone should leave, it should be me”,_ he cut her off knowing her intentions.

_“You’re probably right”._

_“Is that what you want?”_

She looked away and sighed.

 _“Mia, do you want me to leave?”_ he asked in a serious tone, _“just say it. And then I’m gone… for good”._

She stiffened for a split second when the meaning of his words echoed in her mind but she truly didn’t know how to respond. She turned to face him.

_“I just don’t understand wh-”_

But before she could finish her sentence, Tom passed an arm around her waist and pulled her into a kiss. One he had longed for, with hints of desperation and nostalgia. Her blood instantly ran cold at first but then she started succumbing to the moment and slowly let go. He kept a strong hand on her lower back and she wrapped her arms around his neck while standing on her toes to deepen the kiss.

Tom pulled away slowly and caressed her bottom lip with his left thumb while staring deep into her eyes while his showed a glint she never thought she’d see again. He shut them with a deep frown seemingly in pain but it was the overwhelming feeling in his chest; a sort of bittersweet joy.

 _“I never stopped loving you”,_ he whispered.

_“Tom…”_

_“I mean it. I waited for you. I thought you’d eventually call… I thought you’d be ready one day or that I would see you again. I gave you space but I was a fool”._

A single tear ran down her cheek but he wiped it away.

_“Tom, i… I don’t know what to say, I-”_

_“I want to try again”._

_“I don’t believe in second chances”_

_“For me, Mia. Do it for me, for us. If you still have feelings for me, weak as they may be, give me a chance, and I’ll prove to you that we weren’t supposed to be apart. Not then. Not ever”._

Mia was perplexed. She never imagined herself in that situation. On the contrary, she prayed not to see him ever again, thinking that it would make things easier for both, which is why she never even tried to reach him or answered his phone calls. Yet he had found his way back to her.

And then Ava’s earlier words resonated in the back of her head.

She showed a sad smile, and Tom could hear his heart starting to break.

 _“I don’t know”,_ she murmured.

Tom’s shoulders fell.

 _“I don’t know how to”,_ she added.

 _“I don’t know either”,_ Tom said feeling slightly hopeful again, _“But we can figure it out together. We can take it slow. If that’s what you want”._

He studied her and the anticipation was torturing him, so he grabbed her hand and kept it close to his chest.

 _“Mia, i… I’ve never felt this way for anyone before. I didn’t think it was possible. I often found myself having imaginary conversations with you”_ , he admitted with a shy chuckle while looking at the ground, _“Trying to guess how you’d react to whatever it was I was saying, what you would do. I was lost”._

Mia moved her hand to place it on his chest, and looked him in the eye.

_“How can I be sure that you’re not just saying these things?”_

Tom raised his eyebrows.

_“Well, you can always talk to my mum and my sisters. They dealt with me through it all”._

Mia giggled and Tom joined her. The atmosphere slightly changed and their hearts felt less heavy. She bit her lip and gave a slight nod.

 _“Okay”_ she breathed out.

 _“Okay?”_ Tom asked carefully.

_“We can try”._

Relief washed over Tom and presented itself in the form of a big smile drawn across his face.

 _“We’ll take it slow”,_ Mia added.

Tom pulled her in for a second kiss but it was brief this time.

 _“Not here though. Not now.”_ she said, _“When we go back to the city where people actually know the meaning of privacy”._

_“As you wish”._

She nodded and beckoned him to follow her back to the party but not without holding his hand momentarily, just squeezing it before letting go as they joined the others for the act to remain unseen, but Mia caught a glimpse of Ava’s knowing smile.

 


End file.
